Five Stories from Europe You May Have Missed

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1. ‘I’ve met 10 popes, from Pius X to Bergoglio’: tiny Italian town sets record as 10th resident turns 100

Vittorio Lai, nicknamed Pistol, still drives and hunts wild boar, and on Saturday became the latest person in Perdasdefogu, a remote mountain town on the Italian island of Sardinia that set a world record for longevity, to celebrate his 100th birthday.

He will be joined this week by another sprightly centenarian, Piuccia Lai (no relation), who has no qualms about hopping on a plane to visit her sons in Milan, bringing the total number of over-100s in the town to 10 among a population of 1,765.

Sardinia has been identified as one of five regions in the world that have high concentrations of people who have eclipsed the century milestone. There are 534 people across the island who are 100 or older, or 33.6 for every 100,000 inhabitants.

But Perdasdefogu, a town tucked high up in the rugged mountains of south-eastern Sardinia accessible only by a narrow, winding road, is unique in the sense that the number of centenarians in a town of its size is 16 times the national average.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/14/10-residents-over-100-record-breaking-sardinia-town-perdasdefogu

2. In Serbia, A Toxic Mix Of Nationalism And Animal Rights

BELGRADE -- In a gruesome social media video, a dog fight is taking place in what appears to be an open-air basketball court. Two pit-bull-like dogs are set against each other by a group of young men, who surround the battling animals in a circle. One dog quickly overpowers the other, digging its teeth into the upper lip of its opponent's snout, prompting squeals of agony.

The scene then cuts to smartphone footage that follows another group of young men walking through a dimly lit street in dark clothing, their identities obscured by caps and the shadows of the night. They knock on the door of a rural house, where one of the alleged perpetrators from the video answers.

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The video was recorded and posted online by a group that calls itself Levijatan (Leviathan) and became popular in 2017, when its heavily tattooed, muscle-bound members began to capture the attention of the Serbian media with their "reeducation" videos. Levijatan could best be described as a cross between Britain's fascist National Front and the People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a U.S.-based animal rights group that is known for its provocative media campaigns.

"Levijatan isn't just a movement, it's an idea that you live by 24 hours a day," says Pavle Bihali, the 40-year-old founder and figurehead of the group, as he leans back into a gray armchair in Levijatan's spacious office in downtown Belgrade. Sprayed onto the wall is a stencil of convicted war criminal commander Ratko Mladic alongside a tag that reads "Smrt svima osim psima!" ("Death to everyone except dogs!&quot A laundry rack stands nearby and there are piles of clothing on the floor of an adjacent room.

https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-levijatan-nationalism-animal-rights/31694612.html

3. One dead and eight hospitalised after spiked drinks in Bavarian bar

One man died and eight others were hospitalised in serious condition after drinking spiked drinks at a bar in Bavaria, German police said Monday.

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Police didn't say what the group of people had been drinking because of the ongoing investigation but said they had ordered and shared one bottle.

The incident happened Saturday night in the Bavarian town of Weiden. When police arrived at the bar, they found people lying on the ground with cramps and eight of them had to be hospitalised.

A police spokeswoman told public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk that there was a suspicion of negligent homicide but that they weren't looking at any suspects for the time being.

https://www.euronews.com/2022/02/14/one-dead-and-eight-hospitalised-after-spiked-drinks-in-bavarian-bar

4. Armenia Detains 19 People Suspected Of Being In Spy Ring That Used A Dating Service

YEREVAN -- The National Security Service of Armenia (HAAT) has detained 19 people suspected of being members of an "espionage network" in the South Caucasus nation.

The HAAT said on February 10 that dozens of servicemen in different units of the the armed forces may have been involved in the activities of the spy network, which worked for an unspecified nation.

According to the security agency, recruitment took place via an online dating service through which Armenian servicemen who possessed classified data and documents would eventually join the spy ring.

Once part of the operation, the servicemen would receive payments for sending the secret data to foreign intelligence services from mobile devices.

https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-spy-ring-19-detained/31696287.html

5. Welsh government urged to trial four-day week for public sector

Hair stylist Joel McCauley had seen too many colleagues burn out after a perpetual cycle of work, eat and sleep, so when he opened his own salon in Cardiff he was determined to do things differently.

Staff at Slunks in Morgan Arcade now work a four-day week for no less pay than for working five days. They are happier, more productive and provide a better service, said McCauley.

“When you have more time, you can think about life in a different way,” he said. “At work, you’re likely to have more energy and fewer non-productive days. Outside work, you can be a better person, a better parent, a better member of the community. I feel better, staff feel better – we’re all working better.”

More people could be working a four-day week across Wales after the country’s future generations commissioner, Sophie Howe, called on Monday for the Welsh government to launch a shorter working week trial.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/feb/14/welsh-government-urged-trial-four-day-week-public-sector

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1. Thanks@OP! Just got my news roundup before breakfast!

[malaise]

2. K & R

Thanks

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Italian longevity

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

[Sancho]

4. Thanks...cool stories